Graphics card advice

For that type of work, go with Matrox and you'll never go wrong. "Nobody has ever been fired for buying Matrox"

Thanks to everyone who has replied to my original question.

So this is how my novice "eye" sees things re graphics card.Please feel free to correct me if in your opinion I have it wrong..

First the matrox card. It would give me excellent image quality I'm sure and it would be very cheap but it seems I would have to take a step backwards with my motherboard. Keeping with PCI express gives me a better chance to upgrade later.

So a 6600 series card. I can pick up a nvidia 6200 series cardmuch cheaper I think . I don't do gaming but it gives me the option if I ever do (or more likely my 6 year old does). I'm thinking being a non gamer I wouldn't notice the difference. It needs to be 128mb and NOT Turbocache/Hypermemory​. If it costs me about £50 it's not a lot to write of if my son games has he gets older and I need to u/g. Have I got this right?

I am going to get a new 19" CRT aperture grill monitor so I'm pretty sure that it will be an improvement over the Generic (bandy)17" Shadow mask display I have been sat in front of for the last five years.

if you want to future proof your computer for a few years at least, you should get a pci express motherboard. matrox hasnt come up with anything good recently (parhelia was just awful) and to my knowledge they dont offer any pci ex cards, but if they do and its 2d is good as well, you can just buy it then. also, what kind of monitor are you getting? brand name/model? having a flat screen is a plus too, although its not really that important.

Aperture Grill monitors 19" seem hard to find in the UK. I'm looking at Philips Brilliance 109P40 model.

I've been following this thread--I'm also evaluating the Matrox vs Nvidia (I can't find a 'cheap' Matrox 450 from a reliable vendor--they seem to hover in the $90 range). However, I'm also wondering about display choice, which has been raised several times here.
I'm thinking about an LCD flat panel. I know CRTs are dirt cheap by comparison, but cost aside, are there concerns with LCDs in general, or with specific types? Any good FAQs out there on PS, colorspace and LCDs? Is one display tech inherently better than the other for static photo work (I know video frame rate can be a concern with LCDs)?

Edit:
I just found this thread:
https://photography-on-the.net …php?t=65295&hig​hlight=LCD
Still working my way through it and the sub-links, but it looks great.
(Who me, search before I post? :slaps wrist)

The E in x300E signifies HYPERMEMORY!!! Hypermemory sounds really cool but is actually a nice way of saying this card really sucks and will drag down any computer its plugged into. Anyone who told you the X300E is good for anything either clueless or a salesman. It is no better than onboard video as it works the same way.

Gigabyte is one of many motherboard manufacturers. They make many motherboards. Some come with the nForce3 chipset. Some nForce3 chipsets include onboard video (effectively a GeForce MX400). Matrox cards are available in either PCIe or AGP.

For 2D use there really isn't much wrong with onboard video although you should make sure you have plenty of system RAM. Thing is an entry level GPU is so cheap it'd be a pity to retard the computer by going onboard.

After I posted a link to the PCI express Matrox Card.. like 4 people posted that Matrox doesn't make a PCI express card

again
http://www.matrox.com …/millennium_p65​0_pcie.cfm
and
http://shopmatrox.com …ucts/datasheet.​asp?ID=762

4nr your assesment that Matrox hasn't made a decent offering recently,. and that Parhelia is "just awfull" is based on a 3D mindset.. any card Matrox has made before or since the Parhelia will do 2D better than anything ATI or Nvidia has to offer. This has been verified in dozens of tests,. and your personal assertion to the contrary has no founding or factual basis to back it up.

Yes Nvidia and ATI will DESTROY Matrox in 3D

Likewise,. Matrox will mop the floor with ATI and Nvidia in 2D apps like PSCS.

The worldwide leader in video diagnostics, DisplayMate Technologies uses their recognized expertise in evaluating image quality for a variety of devices and peripherals, including displays and graphics cards. For graphics cards, specific attention is given to the quality of the output signal, which is one of the most important factors in determining the quality of the displayed colors on the screen. DisplayMate tools are used by over 150 publications in 45 countries for editorial testing and reviewing of video hardware

Which Matrox cards are available in PCI? As far as I can tell from their website the only one is the Parhelia 256PCI, at $700.

If you look at the second Link Andy posted, and hit the Graphics Cards menu on the left, then G-Series, you'll see a G450 that's PCI. Unless you mean PCI-E, in which case the link takes you directly to a PCI-E card.

Ditto on that !

Buy the latest gaming computer configuration computer and just dont buy it with a graphics/sound card. buy a cheap 2D matrox card and ur set.

But Matrox don't make a PCIe card and they suck at 3D.

Just kidding.

However, how does the Matrox compare against non-gaming offerings from Nvidia and such? Things like the Quaddro range that are specifically targetted at 2D application users.

Quadro are targeted at 3D content creation... OpenGL etc... StudioMAX, Lightwave,. are they not?

And that's still a good question. I've allways wondered. But man talk about pricey!

I checked the Nvidia web site. Among other variants they have Quadro FX aimed at 3D content and Quadro NVS aimed at 2D. Still doesn't answer the question.

The Quadro line for 2D hasnt yet matched the quality u will find from a matrox.

If ur looking for a cheap matrox, theres always plenty on ebay